A bit of Napa in
every piece JESSICA ZIMMER
T
Courtesy of Sahoko Yui
Napa artist Sahoko Yui cleans and boils local berries that she gathered to paint her artwork. 26 | INSIDE NAPA VALLEY
he Napa Valley is filled with artists who incorporate local flowers, berries, wood, and grapes into their work. Fall is a special time of year, as artists are able to gather materials that bring back memories of the summer. They are alsoo able to develop ideas based on their experiences outdoors. John Bonick, an abstract painter, said several of his recent paintings and sculptural pieces are built on conduits of energy and flow. “Over the past several years, I have developed a vocabulary of imagery that centers around ropey forms. I sometimes refer to (these) as ribbons or channels of energy. Sometimes they are stacked on top of each other, sometimes they crisscross the picture plane in seemingly random directions, layer upon layer. I also create three-dimensional pieces, 10-foot-tall wine bottles, using pruned grapevine to weave around an interior structure,” said Bonick. One of Bonick’s wine bottles is by Gott’s Roadside in Oxbow Public Market. Another was recently featured on the Napa Art Walk. Bonick said he has also been photographing daybreak every morning from different natural settings for approximately 11 years. “I take photos every morning just before sunrise. It’s my long-term project, Daybreak Napa Valley. Mostly I take them just in front of my house. I also drive around in the area, down to the Napa River, or at other vineyards in the Carneros (region),” said Bonick. Israel Valencia, who usually creates photographs, has been working on a series that FALL/WINTER 2021
